Flavonoids from the pericarps of Litchi chinensis

J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Feb 5;62(5):1073-8. doi: 10.1021/jf405750p. Epub 2014 Jan 28.

Abstract

A new methylene-linked flavan-3-ol dimer, bis(8-epicatechinyl)methane (1), was isolated from the pericarps of Litchi chinensis Sonn. (Sapindaceae), together with dehydrodiepicatechin A (2), proanthocyanidin A1 (3), proanthocyanidin A2 (4), (-)-epicatechin (5), 8-(2-pyrrolidinone-5-yl)-(-)-epicatechin (6), (-)-epicatechin 8-C-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), naringenin 7-O-(2,6-di-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside (8), and rutin (9). It was the first report of compound 2 as a natural product and compounds 6-8 from this species. Compounds 1, 2, and 6-8 were evaluated for antioxidant activity. The ferric reducing antioxidant powers (FRAP) of compounds 1 and 6 were comparable to that of L-ascorbic acid, and the scavenging activities of compounds 1, 2, 6, and 7 toward 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cations were more potent than those of L-ascorbic acid; compound 8 was weak in FRAP and DPPH assays.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants / chemistry
  • Antioxidants / isolation & purification
  • Flavonoids / chemistry*
  • Flavonoids / isolation & purification
  • Fruit / chemistry*
  • Litchi / chemistry*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry*
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Flavonoids
  • Plant Extracts